Cylinder Seal with a Presentation Scene

This seal scene depicts a bearded king in a horned helmet. An interceding goddess stands behind him. The two approach the sun god Shamash, who stands with one leg upon a mountain and a knife in his hand. There is solar disc between the king and the sun god. The king wears a ceremonial fringed robe that is open in the front, and he holds a goat kid as an offering to the deity. The goddess has her hands up in praise. There is a fly between the heads of the goddess and the king. This fly possibly represents Nergal, the god of disease and death.

Cylinder seals are cylindrical objects carved in reverse (intaglio) in order to leave raised impressions when rolled into clay. Seals were generally used to mark ownership, and they could act as official identifiers, like a signature, for individuals and institutions. A seal’s owner rolled impressions in wet clay to secure property such as baskets, letters, jars, and even rooms and buildings. This clay sealing prevented tampering because it had to be broken in order to access a safeguarded item. Cylinder seals were often made of durable material, usually stone, and most were drilled lengthwise so they could be strung and worn. A seal’s material and the images inscribed on the seal itself could be protective. The artistry and design might be appreciated and considered decorative as well. Cylinder seals were produced in the Near East beginning in the fourth millennium BCE and date to every period through the end of the first millennium BCE.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Henry Walters, Baltimore, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Sadie Jones (Mrs. Henry Walters), New York, 1931, by inheritance; Joseph Brummer, Paris and New York, 1941, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1941, by purchase.